The One Inch Boy
by TheBlackEwe
Summary: A mission from the Genin days when Team Seven put on a play. Includes an OC. Rated T for reference to a film unsuitable for young children The Rocky Horror Picture Show and mild cursing.


**So, here's another little side story. This one includes a small request from one of my reviewers. Hope you all like it! :D The play is based on a Japanese myth called 'Issun Boshi'. **

**By the way, this story includes an OC, so if that's not your thing, fair enough. If it is, lovely. Just to let you know. :P **

**The OC is from my own fanfiction called 'Friend'. You can find it in my stories. :)**

**I do not own Naruto. It belngs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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><p><span>The One-Inch Boy<span>

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><p>"It's been a while since I was last in a theatre." Kakashi commented, glancing around.<p>

"What play did you see?" Naruto queried.

"Not a play. A film. The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Ami rose a brow. She had heard of the movie and a bit of what it was about. It seemed like exactly the sort of thing their sensei would enjoy. She tried to ignore the fact that Kakashi was now doing a little performance of the main dance, singing the Time Warp under his breath as he thrust his hips back and forth, Sakura staring, Sasuke glaring off in another direction, undoubtedly thinking something along the lines of; 'Why the hell do I have this _freak_ for a teacher?' on his scowling face, Naruto trying to copy the dance with a wide grin.

Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji and Asuma watched from the sidelines.

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><p>Teams Seven and Ten had been chosen to work together on a mission; putting a play on for a group of children in the local theatre, and frankly, most of the Genin were already sick of Sakura and Ino bitching at each other as the sensei spoke to the owners of the theatre.<p>

Ami tried to distract herself from the screeching girls by talking to Naruto. "So, do you know what play we're doing?"

The blond shook his head. "No idea."

"I think it's called 'The One-Inch Boy'." Chouji said between mouthfuls of crisps, accidentally spitting small crumbs of potato chip at them.

Ami's eyebrows lifted. "Ah, I've heard that story. My mom told it to me when I was little."

"What's it about?" Naruto asked, brow furrowed slightly.

Ami chewed her lip a little before replying. "I'm not a great storyteller, so you should probably just wait until we're all being told it."

Kakashi and Asuma poked their heads in the door.

"Guys, you can come in now." Asuma, a large, bearded chain-smoker of a man said.

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><p>Naruto's eyes were wide with joy as Kakashi had all the Genin sit in a circle around him and told them the story, Naruto 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing at all the right moments.<p>

That boy really was like a child.

Once the masked man finished, the blond clapped enthusiastically, cheering loudly as he did.

"So, this is the story we will be putting on a play of. The play is in three days. We draw straws for roles." He reached behind himself into his pouch and brought his fist back around with seven straws clenched in it, the ends with the names of the roles hidden in his hand.

Sasuke pulled a strip from the silver-haired man's fist, brow furrowing slightly at his result.

"Ah, so you're then main character of the play. Congrats, Sasuke." Kakashi said.

"Hn."

Ami, being closest, reached forward next, but was hurriedly shoved back by Sakura and Ino, who leapt for the silver-haired man's hand, locking eyes as they each yanked a strip from Kakashi's fist.

"_I'll be the princess, Ino-Pig!_"

"_As if, Forehead-Girl!_"

The two read the ends of their straws and both deflated instantly.

"Let me pick again!" Ino demanded, Sakura echoing the blonde's cry, but Kakashi denied both of them, moving his fist towards Naruto, who was practically buzzing with excitement as he pulled out a straw and read the role on the bottom of it.

"Eh? 'Props'? What does that mean?" he queried.

"It means that you'll be the one doing the effects and bringing out the objects we'll be using." Ami explained as she pulled out one of the three remaining roles and Chouji and Shikamaru were handed the last two.

The blond pouted. "So I won't be on stage…?"

"No, but you're the one that makes it magical for the kids." Ami grinned, and the boy's face lightened. "Besides, you'll be able to wet yourself laughing behind the curtain while we all make complete asses of ourselves-oh. I'm the princess."

Sakura punched Ami hard in the arm, and the brunette cried out in pain, grasping the limb before turning around to glare furiously at the angry, pink-haired girl.

"_What the hell?_" she barked angrily at the rosette.

"_Dammit, Ami! _You got the _best role!_" Sakura snarled, Ino glaring at Ami beside her. "_Sasuke's the boy!_"

"I've already told you that_ I don't like Sasuke!_" Ami shouted, "If you were the wife and Sasuke the husband, then _that_ would have been the 'best role'! We drew straws, okay! It's not my fault!"

"_Gyaaah! You're so annoying!_" Ino wailed, "_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_"

"_Shut up, dammit!_"

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><p>The curtain opened and the children watched with great curiosity as Ino strode out onto stage, up to the microphone that had been set up for her at the side, dressed in a plain, green yukata, hair down. Sakura and Shikamaru sat behind her at a small table, Sakura dressed as the husband with topknot, trousers and a brown yukata, Shikamaru in make-up, a light pink yukata and his spiky hair down from its usual pineapple-like ponytail in an attempt to make it seem more feminine.<p>

The blonde, as narrator, raised some papers in front of herself and began to read.

"Once upon a time, there was a couple who wanted a child more than anything in the world. They prayed to the gods every day to bring them a child, even if he was just one inch tall."

There was a few seconds of silence before Sakura kicked Shikamaru underneath the table, and the lazy boy jerked awake, grumbling 'troublesome' before saying his lines in a lazy voice that was just about loud enough to be audible for the children;

"_Please, oh, great gods._" he droned in a voice just a little higher than his usual, trying to sound like a woman while using as little effort as possible, "_Please bring us a son._"

Sakura started her lines in a deep voice; "_Please bring us a son. Even if he is just one inch tall, we will treasure him always._"

Ino spoke again; "Then one day, the couple's wish was granted by the gods, and they had a son who was just one inch tall. They named him Issun-Boshi, which meant; 'one-inch tall'."

Chouji, Ami and Naruto nearly burst out laughing at the sight of Sasuke attempting to play the one-inch boy, shuffling onto and around the stage on his knees with a pair of shoes stuck to the joints, speaking in a high, squeaky voice as the director had ordered him to make him seem even more teensy.

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><p>Oh, he was <em>hating<em> this play already.

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><p>"But one day," Ino continued, "Issun-Boshi wanted to go see the world, and though it saddened his parents to see him go, the man and woman gave him a thimble as a hat and a needle as a sword."<p>

Sasuke was handed a small, metal bucket and a stick covered in aluminium foil by Naruto, who was concealed behind the curtain, doing his best not to scowl as he placed the bucket on his head and brandished the stick.

The lights dimmed and Sakura and Shikamaru went quickly off the stage, Sakura dragging both the table and Shikamaru with her. The light returned once they were off.

Sasuke shuffled to the other side, still squeaking to the audience.

"_This is so hard!_" he cheeped. "_I want to see the world and make friends so much, but it's really difficult! Even grass gets in my way! If only I were big!_"

Behind the curtain, Naruto had stuffed his fist in his mouth to try and keep himself from laughing.

Ino spoke up again; "But then, Issun-Boshi heard a woman screaming, and saw a beautiful princess being chased by a _demon!_"

Ami and Chouji did their best to wipe the grins off their faces as Ami ran onstage, dressed in a fancy, flowery kimono, tripping and falling purposely and crying out as Chouji, dressed as a demon with a big, red-faced mask and brown cloak chased her, making 'rawr' noises as she cowered beneath him.

"Somebody! Save me!" the brunette cried out, trying (and thankfully succeeding) to avoid snorting upon hearing Sasuke squeak at her.

"I'll help you!" he chirped, freezing when Naruto flung a long, red cushion out beside him.

There was several seconds of silence as the trio simply gawked at the 'demon tongue' that had been thrown on far too soon, and Sakura scolding the boy offstage could be clearly heard amongst the quietness before the flustered blond hurried onstage, hastily dragging the prop off.

Sasuke coughed slightly as Ami tried to remember where they had left off before quickly recovering and continuing.

"_But you're only one inch tall!_" she sobbed to the kneeling boy. "What can _you_ do?"

"I'll _definitely _save you!" the raven squeaked, ignoring Ami's tiny snort, as Chouji tried to cover up his giggling by roaring again. "Just because I'm little, doesn't mean that I can't do anything to help!"

Sasuke shuffled across the stage towards Chouji, who was still roaring and growling and generally making noise, and pulled at the chubby boy's clothes, pretending to climb up them, before swinging his 'sword' at the demon mask as Ino began speaking again.

"And with that said, Issun-Boshi dashed at the monster and cut off its tongue with his weapon!"

Sakura could be heard whispering '_Now, idiot!_' and there was a short scuffle offstage before the red beanbag flew onto stage once again.

Chouji clapped his hands over the mouth of the mask, bellowing in rage and pain, before rushing off.

"With the demon defeated, the princess was safe, and she thanked Issun-Boshi for protecting her."

Ami got to her feet. "You rescued me! Thank you so much! You're so amazing, even though you're so tiny!"

Sasuke squeaked in reply; "That's alright! I told you I could save you!"

"I wish I could kiss you as thanks," Ami said, "but you're too small!"

The narrator piped up again as the girl closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

"The princess closed her eyes tight and wished for Issun-Boshi to be able to grow big, but when she opened her eyes again, he was still small." Ino gritted her teeth slightly before finishing. "However, the princess bought Issun-Boshi home to the palace with her, and over a year, the one-inch boy slowly grew bigger and bigger-" Sasuke took off the shoes on his knees and stood up slowly, "Issun-Boshi grew slowly, until finally, he was the same size as a regular man, and he and the princess got married."

Ami smiled and hugged the raven, as the boy awkwardly hugged back (even practising hadn't gotten him used to the gesture), while the children cheered and applauded as all the actors, Naruto and Ino got up on stage and bowed to the audience a few times, all holding hands, before the curtains closed.

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><p>"That was the most woeful and embarrassing mission I have ever performed." Sasuke snarled, yanking off his bucket hat and shoving it down on top of Naruto's head, the blond squawking in response.<p>

"I thought you were pretty good." Chouji piped up, still dressed in the furry, brown suit he had worn as the demon, mask perched on the side of his head.

The Uchiha grunted, pointedly ignoring Ino and Sakura as they praised him in sickly sweet tones.

Kakashi wandered in, clapping slowly. "Well done, you lot. The play was a success. They even want us back."

"_Hell no._" Sasuke growled.

"They want us to do the Rocky Horror Picture Show next time."

"_Hell no!_"

"Sasuke, you're to be Dr. Frankenfurter."

"_HELL NO!_"

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><p><strong>Whether they all end up doing the Time Warp or not is up to your imagination. ;D<strong>


End file.
